Monthly Archives: November 2012

Gaza’s Ark receives with pleasure news of the UN vote that grants Palestine observer status as “non-member state” – as opposed to “entity” – at the UN. The vote was 138 in favour, 9 against and 41 abstentions out of 193 countries represented at the UN.

There cannot be peace without justice. So those countries who have voted against, such as the US, Canada and Israel must accept democratically the outcome and join the growing number of European countries who endorse the recognition of Palestine as a move towards peace.

The wish of the Palestinian people has been granted by overwhelming majority.

This is a step in right direction for a full independent and sovereign Palestine without a foreign occupation army and an illegal blockade.

Congratulations to all Palestinians for their victory at the UN and in Gaza!

People hold a giant Palestinian flag during a rally in support of the Palestinian UN bid for observer state status, in the West Bank town of Jenin, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. (AP / Mohammed Ballas)

On the line from Montreal was Ehab Lotayef, a prominent activist for the cause of the Palestinian people. He is a respected social justice advocate in Montreal, is a poet and playwright, and has intimate knowledge of the suffering of the Palestinian people; especially those in Gaza. He is also an organizer of Gaza’s Ark that will, with “a crew of internationals and Palestinians[,] … sail … out of Gaza, the only Mediterranean port closed to shipping, carrying Palestinian products to fulfill trade deals with international buyers, to challenge the illegal and inhuman Israeli blockade.”

A-Infos Radio Project interviews Gaza Ark member David Heap on what is going on in Gaza, and the lack of a response to Israel's aggression within European and North American capitals.

The interview took place on November 19 when the Israeli attack on Gaza was still going on before the cease-fire. However, the issues that David discusses are still current today: Israeli targetting of innocent civilians under an illegal blockade and the uneven balance of forces that allows Israeli military incursions into Gaza.

The recent unprovoked attack on Gaza was attributed to a perverse political campaign towards elections that Netanyahu faces in Israel early next year. The governments of most European countries, Canada and the US have remained silent during the attack on Gaza, but David states that any change in the so called Palestinian-Israeli conflict must be triggered by the international civil society by calling on politicians to put an end to Israel's occupation.

In the ceasefire recently brokered by Egypt, the Israeli government promised to "open the crossings and facilitate the movement of people and the transfer of goods, and … refrain from targeting residents in border areas." The major question now is, will Israel live up to that commitment in the full letter and spirit of the words? We have a project that will put that to the test: Gaza's Ark; it aims to stock a locally built boat with locally made Palestinian goods and sail them out of the Gaza harbour for export!

Like many others, we will be closely monitoring what the ceasefire means over time for freedom of movement for Palestinians in Gaza, including the ability of fishermen to fish in their full territorial waters, farmers to access their land and businesses to export. It's important to remember that to achieve a lasting, just peace, the blockade of Gaza must end, completely and permanently, so that Palestinians can rebuild the vibrant export economy they once enjoyed. This is what Gaza's Ark hopes to help achieve.

Israel, one of the largest military powers in the world, is unleashing its military might on the captive Palestinian population in Gaza. Unable to escape from their open-air prison because of the Israeli blockade, 1.6 million Palestinians in Gaza are condemned to be sitting targets for Israel's bombing and shelling.
The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated regions in the world. Over two thirds of the population are refugees who lost their homes to Israel in 1948 and 1967; over half of them are children. The weapons used to destroy their lives and communities are provided by American taxpayers with the active complicity and support of Canadian, Australian and European governments.

Close to 1,000 New Yorkers came out in the cold earlier tonight to denounce Israel's escalation against the Gaza Strip. The emergency rally, organized in one day, was put together by a host of Palestine solidarity groups including Adalah-NY, Al-Awda NY, American Muslims for Palestine, Students for Justice in Palestine chapters and more.

The rally was held across the street from the Israeli Consulate in Midtown Manhattan.

David Heapjust sent us this statement from participants of a recent delegation to Gaza:

While countries across Europe and North America commemorated military casualties of past and present wars on November 11, Israel was targeting civilians. On November 12, waking up to a new week, readers at breakfast were flooded with heart rending accounts of past and current military casualties. There was, however, no or little mention of the fact that the majority of casualties of modern day wars are civilians. There was also hardly any mention on the morning of November 12 of military attacks on Gaza that continued throughout the weekend. A cursory scan confirms this for Canada’s CBC, the Globe and Mail, Montreal’s Gazette, and the Toronto Star. Equally, for the New York Times and for the BBC.